Editorial: Campaign to combat pregnancy

Thursday, Oct. 19, 2000 | 10:11 a.m.

The good news is that Nevada's teen pregnancy rate has been dropping in recent years. The bad news, though, is that this state still ranks fourth in the nation with 107.5 pregnancies for every 1,000 girls between the ages of 15 and 19. There is no magic answer on how to substantially lower the teen pregnancy rate, but a new advertising campaign hopes to use blunt language to educate high-school boys and girls about the consequences of pregnancy.

As the Sun's Jace Radke reported Tuesday, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy will start running the stark ads, which feature photos of teens, in newspapers and magazines this week. "A lot of people will be shocked by the ads and some will be offended, and that's the point," said Bill Albert, who is the spokesman for the nonprofit group's public service announcement campaign.

Traditional ads don't resonate with all teenagers, Albert said, noting that a survey found that 40 percent preferred advice from other teenagers. "Teens have what I call do-gooder radar, and if they see something obviously coming from some adult organization they can easily pick it out," Albert said. Well, no one will mistake these ads as coming from a straight-laced adult. One carries this message: "I had sex so my boyfriend wouldn't reject me. Now, I have a baby. And no boyfriends." Another ad reads: "Condoms are cheap. If we'd used one, I wouldn't have to tell my parents I'm pregnant."

Many adults won't approve of the ads, but right now there are too many teenagers becoming pregnant, which creates a public health problem. For instance, babies born to teen mothers can be more susceptible to having health problems, in part because young mothers don't always have adequate access to prenatal health care.

In a perfect world, parents would assume the responsibility for educating their children about why they shouldn't become pregnant. For that matter, such advertising never is a substitute for good parenting. But the fact is that not all parents feel comfortable talking about this issue with their children; even for those who are straightforward with their youngsters, they also may discover that their advice is ignored. This advertising campaign certainly isn't a panacea, and it shouldn't be viewed as a replacement for the advice of mothers and fathers, but it is hoped that the ads get through to some kids who just won't listen to their parents' wisdom.